Reasons I dislike Riya

[Nezumi]

Preamble: I'd like to state this is personal opinion, not objective fact.

First off, let's get things that are not reasons I dislike her out of the way.

1. Because she's an abusive dom: Yeah, no, sorry. I have fantasies about being enslaved and abused, some of which I'm worried are a bit too dark to even share here. I've had fantasies about me or my characters being abducted and brainwashed from gay to bi or even het.
2. Because I think racism can never have a place in sexual fantasy: Sexual fantasy often approaches that which is taboo, and despite my political leanings, I heavily oppose "kink-critical" and "sex-negative" attitudes that try to police such. I've done the occasional bit of racist roleplay, either with real-world races or fantasy ones. (One I've tried a few times but never done in a manner I was satisfied with was a guy inadvertantly MCing/reality-warping a catgirl by going on about she has to be dumb, slutty, cockhungry, etc. based on stereotypes)
   
3. Because she's only interested in female characters: If she's really only interested in pussies, more power to her. I adore Andromeda from Flexible Survival Singleplayer, and have a character who has this attitude for multiple reasons.

Now, that cleared up, let's go on to the reasons:

1. She's racist: I know this sounds kinda contradictory, but even as I acknowledge that racism can be part of sexual fantasy, her racist character is really grating to me as someone who has to deal with a lot of bigotry. (Though thankfully not actual racism)
2. She's racist in a boring, unsexy way: She stereotypes you as criminal, tells you to get off the station, etc. She shows no sort of racist objectification or sexualization unless you actually approach her seeking sex. And when I tried to do that, just to see if she got better? I used a save I had of a half-Kaithrit, first day, no transformations. Something I'd kinda expect to have some decent objectifying, personhood--denying racist taunts built in. What I got amounted to "CAT! CAT! YOU'RE A CAT!" Yeeeahhhh... was not impressed.
3. She misgendered my character: Okay, this is small, and maybe a little bit petty. but when I tried to proposition her while playing a human male attempt at a pre-everything trans girl with gender pref. set to female, she complained she was only interested in girls, and that's... the first place I saw my character not get referred to as a girl despite what they were packing. That was a fairly unpleasant surprise, especially since, despite missteps, TiTS does actually seem to try on trans inclusiveness and representation.
4. She's untouchable: I've heard this is supposed to change (though what I've heard about how isn't super-promising about actually changing it rather than just papering over the problem), but there's effectively nothing you can do about her. Reporting her -- the most obvious, sensible action, goes nowhere. Punching her just makes her mad and cuts off further interactions... and if there's any other way to attempt to deal with her, I didn't yet find it.
   
5. That she's untouchable is narratively weird: The amount of amazing, impressive things you can do in this game is fairly high, yet you can do fuck all against her because of her supposed dangerous friends. Not even an opportunity to go "screw that" and find out, oh, hell, you really did get in over your head, whoops, Bad End for you. It just stops cold.
6. That she's untouchable is immensely frustrating: For me, dealing with bigots I can do fuck all about is basically Tuesday. When I'm confronted with them in fantasy contexts, I'd kinda like to be able to... actually have the power I don't have in reality. Call me silly.

 

[Darkpheonix]

Just commenting before Fen or Savin lock it up. Yes she is a Racist, Abusive, untouchable Dom, which is why I personally hate her and just go the long way around rather than go on her square of the map. But this has already been argued to death on other threads and this will probably just start fights where none need to be.

 

[Noob Salad]

Actually now that I think about it, I feel like the domination could be much hotter if her racism was more condescending than hateful. At least, in terms of word choice.

 

[EmperorG]

She misgendered my character: Okay, this is small, and maybe a little bit petty. but when I tried to proposition her while playing a human male attempt at a pre-everything trans girl with gender pref. set to female, she complained she was only interested in girls, and that's... the first place I saw my character not get referred to as a girl despite what they were packing. That was a fairly unpleasant surprise, especially since, despite missteps, TiTS does actually seem to try on trans inclusiveness and representation.

To be perfectly fair though, unless your character tells someone they're trans, I wouldn't expect the NPC to just know it ahead of time. Plus she's looking for someone who is biologically fully female, even herms with gender set to female and max femininity don't count for her.

As for the other stuff, well an untouchable asshole is what she's designed to be. I mean at least you can punch her, unlike the literally genocidal Red Myr general you can meet.

 

[Xeivous]

She's supposed to be a niche character that everyone that can't get off to her or doesn't otherwise find her likable for their own reasons is supposed to hate.

That said, I do agree with her being untouchable to be a pain.

 

[Nezumi]

Mostly, I was just venting and getting my own personal opinion out there. I tried to moderate things and be even-handed instead of going on an angry rant, but she's... not a character that appeals to me, and makes me wish for an abusive, racist dom who's more my speed. I'd consider writing one, except I kind of suck at descriptive writing -- characterization and worldbuilding are more my thing, and I often find my writing well drying up and any sort of inspiration or guidance failing me when I try to write any really intense, vivid descriptions, which is... a really bad shortcoming if you're trying to write porn.

(Other things I'd want to write if my skillset weren't so poorly suited for contributing to the game: Mouse transformation. Personal fave of mine, and still a bit disappointed it has yet to make it over from CoC)

 

[Woider]

You know, there are other avenues for writing than in-game. Both the Creative Writing and Roleplaying sections are available.

 

[null_blank]

I actually like the Riya character. Primarily because her current status seems to enrage some people but its nice having someone that doesn't like the PC but will still go out their way to hate fuck you if you ask nicely enough.

 

[Magic Ted]

Alright. You dislike a character in a large text game by multiple authors.

Okay? Like, what did you want with this thread when you made it? You said it was to rant but you can do that screaming into a shower head.

 

[FairyWanderer]

here we go

 

[Ormael]

I'm quite sure if OP will continue smashing at Ryia and her flaws this thread will soon follow other(s) that was about her and yet locked. Well Ryia is quite... characteristic npc and should always around emotions even extreme ones at times.

 

[Nezumi]

You know, there are other avenues for writing than in-game. Both the Creative Writing and Roleplaying sections are available.

An interesting proposition, but one I'm worried runs into the same problems with my lack of skill at descriptions. What I most need is to figure out how to improve on that. I guess I can try more practice and trying harder to visualize scenes? Maybe see if I can find ways to improve my vocabulary in that particular area.

Alright. You dislike a character in a large text game by multiple authors.

Okay? Like, what did you want with this thread when you made it? You said it was to rant but you can do that screaming into a shower head.

A showerhead is much less likely to have relevant input or responses (positive or negative) or to understand what I'm talking about. There have actually been some fairly interesting replies here.

I'm quite sure if OP will continue smashing at Ryia and her flaws this thread will soon follow other(s) that was about her and yet locked. Well Ryia is quite... characteristic npc and should always around emotions even extreme ones at times.

Nope. Done. I said more or less everything I had to say, and haven't really had any need to clarify or defend -- people, even when negative or hostile, have accepted that this is my personal opinion, and there have been little or no significant misunderstandings of what I put forward. At this point, my responses are more concerned with other things.

 

[Woider]

An interesting proposition, but one I'm worried runs into the same problems with my lack of skill at descriptions. What I most need is to figure out how to improve on that. I guess I can try more practice and trying harder to visualize scenes? Maybe see if I can find ways to improve my vocabulary in that particular area.

Well then might it not be prudent to practice that in those sections before putting it to the test with an in-game submission?

 

[NotYouNorI]

OP, you are being silly. Riye is meant to be written the way she is. It's bound to be someone's fetish and her presence makes the TiTSverse feel just a bit more authentic.

 

[Nik_van_Rijn]

And the rest is just opinion. I mean... you're entitled to it, certainly, but I don't really see what this thread is going to accomplish. Franks isn't going to change his character based on this feedback, and that's his right as Riya's author. You don't like her. Neat.

Have to disagree with you here, Misty. Alongside some pretty personal bugbears, OP has laid out some solid arguments that reinforce how for a decent number of people@Franks declared intent has failed to come through. In particular, the fact that Riya doesn't really put any stock into racist BS she espouses and instead just deliberately uses it to get under people's skin. Her racism also isn't entirely consistent at this point, playing into RL stereotypes but in Spess during one scene, and being entirely sex-focused in another.

Speaking of which.

I used a save I had of a half-Kaithrit, first day, no transformations. Something I'd kinda expect to have some decent objectifying, personhood--denying racist taunts built in. What I got amounted to "CAT! CAT! YOU'RE A CAT!" Yeeeahhhh... was not impressed.

This is something I couldn't give Franks a lot of useful feedback on, due to not being a TA for things like that. Maybe you can lay out some ideas for what can be done in exploring this particular kink?

 

[Franks]

Have to disagree with you here, Misty. Alongside some pretty personal bugbears, OP has laid out some solid arguments that reinforce how, for many people @Franks declared intent has failed to come through to a decent number of people. In particular, the fact that Riya doesn't really put any stock into racist BS she espouses and instead just deliberately uses it to get under people's skin. Her racism also isn't entirely consistent at this point, playing into RL stereotypes but in Spess during one scene, and being entirely sex-focused in another.

Speaking of which.


This is something I couldn't give Franks a lot of useful feedback on, due to not being a TA for things like that. Maybe you can lay out some ideas for what can be done in exploring this particular kink?

Riya is my first character, so there are going to be quality holes I'm going to have to work on improving in expansions and on further submissions I make to the game. I hate to make that excuse, but it's true. As far as not adding more variations for halfbreeds and such, it's not that I made a conscious decision not to as much as it just didn't cross my mind at the time I was writing it.

And yeah, Riya is more or less just talking shit to get reactions out of people ingame. Like that or don't, she has no real backstory as to why she's racist. She wasn't bullied as a child, no ausar bit her, no kaithrit clawed her leg, no leithan donkey kicked her. She just likes pissing people off.

Also, OP, this is a well written post even though I don't really agree with some of the reasons for disliking her, so good on you.

 

[Noob Salad]

Am I only one that likes Riya and Kelt...

 

[Franks]

I would assume Franks likes his own character. Though at this point I also would not be surprised if he made a thread bitching about her himself.

I don't like Riya, I fucking love her.

 

[Ormael]

I not hate Riya nor Kelt. But that not count yet as liking them I suppose.

 

[Xeivous]

Am I only one that likes Riya and Kelt...

I don't care for kelt at all, but I will admit that I do get Riya's appeal enough to get off to it and be at least casually looking forward to her character development.

 

[Noob Salad]

I don't like Riya, I fucking love her.

Write a qt awoo girl instead.

But does she love you? *Inception bwaaah*

Nah I don't think so.

 

[Franks]

But does she love you? *Inception bwaaah*

I mean, I made her a galaxy-class warrior and basically gave her free reign to be the biggest, blackest dick she can be, so...

Probably not, no.

 

[Nonesuch]

Am I only one that likes Riya and Kelt...

I'd enjoy them both if they better supported the type of PC I like abusing, i.e. traps.

 

[Noob Salad]

ya but ur weird liek that

>Not playing well endowed characters.

 

[Xeivous]

I can't speak for nonesuch, but traps are for when one is feeling subby and the big endowed characters are for when one wants to go domming.

 

[Nonesuch]

Someone needs to write a "weak dom/strong sub" couple, where a petite himedere bosses around her hulking yet impossibly loyal servant. Shake things up for a change.

That's an excellent idea, Mistyrion! I nominate you.

 

[Lancer]

*Inception bwaaah*

I'm mildly annoyed that that automatically played the Inception bwaaah in my head.

 

[Ormael]

A weak looking dom (yoda) and strong buff'd up sub (hulk)...hmmmm.

 

[Xeivous]

squishy wizard on meat shield is always a fantastic pairing, especially if said wizard is the healer. Though I can't say that I can think of any such pairing where the healer doesn't end up as a subby healslut, aside from Overwatch's Pharmercy ship, but that doesn't have much in the way of significant physical differences.

 

[Lancer]

A weak looking dom (yoda) and strong buff'd up sub (hulk)...hmmmm.

I would have done just fine in life without that mental image. Now it will haunt me for years.

sarcasm
Thanks Ormael
/sarcasm